Ian hovered in the night sky, the wind blowing up from below, carrying the city's mixed smells—exhaust, cooking oil, wet cement.
"A few hours before I head back to D.C., so let's see what fun there is." He didn't move, just floated there, his gaze sweeping past the city skyline as if searching for something.
Then he saw it.
Brooklyn. On the rooftop of an apartment building, Soldier Boy stood at the edge with a cigarette between his fingers, the ember flaring and fading in the wind. He had just stubbed it out on the railing when he turned and walked into the stairwell. Ian didn't approach. He simply watched his path from high above.
Soldier Boy went down to the seventh floor and stopped in front of a door. He didn't ring the bell. He just lifted his foot and kicked it open. The door panel flew inward and slammed into the entryway wall.
A woman sat in the living room, wearing a deep crimson dress and holding a cup of tea. She looked to be in her forties, very well maintained, her hair pinned up behind her head, not a wrinkle on her face. Her eyes were light brown, almost pale under the lights. Countess Crimson.
A former member of Payback. Her power was controlling liquids—blood, water, anything that flowed.
"That's a little different from what I knew."
By the time Ian made his comment, Soldier Boy had already barged inside.
"You found me," Countess Crimson said with a sigh. Her ability was as precise as the "Countess" in her name—elegant and deadly.
When she saw Soldier Boy walk in, she didn't stand up or put down her teacup.
"You weren't hiding that well," Soldier Boy said. "The place you bought was under your mother's maiden name. Nobody's